1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a portable user-specific performance monitor and a related transmission method and computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is important to measure the functioning of the organ system and the movement of a person when training for an athletic performance, for example. The heart rate of a person can be measured with a portable device that comprises a measuring belt fastened on the chest with an elastic belt and a heart rate receiver fastened on the wrist like a watch which serves as a receiver of measuring data and may process the measuring data.
The measuring belt consists of a flexible piece fastened on the chest with a sensor for measuring an ECG signal. The sensor comprises two measuring electrodes that settle against the skin and are connected to an ECG detecting block. Instead of ECG measurement or in addition to it, it is possible to use other sensors to measure the state of the organ system or movement of the user. These include acceleration sensors that provide information on the movements of the user.
A transmitter in the measuring belt or some other sensor may wirelessly transmit measuring data by means of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation to the measuring data receiver fastened to the wrist of a user for processing therein. From the measuring belt or wrist receiver, the measuring data may be transmitted on to a computer or some other corresponding receiver for further processing.
However, there are problems associated with data transmission by means of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation. If the measuring data transmitter or receiver is in sufficiently humid conditions, for instance when the user goes swimming, radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation cannot propagate through water from the transmitter to the receiver. Sometimes the fact that the transmitter is too far from the receiver prevents data transmission. It is also possible that the user is in an environment where the operation of a transmitter is not allowed. The measuring data generated during a break in the data transmission then cannot be processed in the receiver and the measuring data thus cannot be used for an analysis of the performance of the user.